HENRIKH MKHITARYAN bagged his first Manchester United goal but it didn't stop Jose Mourinho suffering his first defeat in the job.
DEFEATED: Mourinho's side lost to Dortmund in China
Mkhitaryan netted an easy tap in in the second half against former club Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai.
But last season's Bundesliga runners-up were already three up by then thanks to first half goals from Gonzalo Castro and Pierre Emerick Aubayemang, who converted a penalty, and a second half effort from Ousmane Dembele.
Castro piled on the misery with a second goal in the dying stages.
United coasted to victory at Wigan last weekend, but Dortmund were a real step up in class.
Mourinho warned United were in for a tough evening, with sweltering conditions and Dortmund having played four pre-season games already leaving his side well off the pace.
It showed, with the Manchester giants struggling to keep up with their German opponents.
Mourinho won't like the heavy loss, but it was an important workout for his players ahead of Monday's friendly with Manchester City.
Neither team had created a chance before United fell behind after 19 minutes when keeper Sam Johnstone failed to hold a long range free-kick from Aubameyang.
He appeared to have made amends by saving Dembele's effort from the follow-up but the ball broke to Castro who lifted a close range shot over Eric Bailly who was standing on the goal line.
Jesse Lingard wasted a chance to equalise four minutes later when he dispossessed Marcel Schmelzer to give himself a clear run at goal but fired a disappointing shot straight at Roman Weidenfeller.
Dortmund went 2-0 up after 36 minutes when Antonio Valencia inadvertently handled a cross to give away a penalty that was comfortably converted by Aubayemang.
Mourinho made four changes at half-time, bringing on Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero for Memphis Depay, Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones and Johnstone.
United quickened the tempo of their play with Rashford's pace threatening the Dortmund defence.
Mkhitaryan should have pulled one back but shot tamely at Weidenfeller but Dortmund made it three after 57 minutes when Dembele beat Rojo and rifled a shot into the corner of the net.
Two minutes later Mhkitaryan was presented with an easy tap-in into an empty net after Juan Mata had raced through and unselfishly squared the ball across the penalty area.
Dortmund made seven changes on the hour and United made two more six minutes later when Adnan Januzaj and Paddy McNair replaced Mkhitaryan and Daley Blind.
United ended a miserable evening by conceding a fourth in the 86th minute when Castro skipped through the defence to crash a shot into the top corner.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Johnstone (Romero 46), Valencia, Bailly, Jones (Rojo 46), Shaw; Herrera, Blind (McNair 66), Lingard (Rashford 46), Mata, Mkhitaryan (Januzaj 66), Memphis (Young 46).
Borussia Dortmund (4-1-4-1): Weidenfeller; Passlack, Papastathopoulos, Bender, Schmelzer; Rode; Ramos, Kagawa, Castro, Dembele; Aubameyang.
Referee: D Wang (China).
No comments:
Post a Comment